Folding closed-corner box or crate.



A. M. WIGHT. FOLDING CLOSED. `520i-WER BOX 0R CRATE.

APPLICATION..FILED AUG.2|. 1916;

Patented Feb. 25, 19l9 S'SHEETS-SHEET l.

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A. M. WIGHT. FOLDlNG CLOSED CORNER BOX 0R CRATE..

Patente@ Feb.25,1919l mgm,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

APPLICATION, FILED AUG.'2I. 1916.

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ARTHUR MQWIGHT, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

FOLDING CLOSED-CORNER BOX OR CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, i919.

Application filed August 21, 1916. Serial No. 115,9371.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR M. WIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at 2 St. Nicholas Place, New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Closed-Corner Boxes or Crates, fully described and represented in. the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

The object of this invention is to form a collapsible box or crate, the sides and ends of which are permanently hinged together so that they may be collapsed or folded upon one another, and Vpacked for storage or transportation with the necessary top and bottom pieces, and the parts readily erected and secured together by the user.

One feature of the invention is that the hinges are applied to the extreme edges of the sides and ends and are formed of sheetmetal which lies flat thereon, with nails exl tended through their ends into the wood to form pivotal joints at both ends, such hingeplates forming links of the cheapest possible construction, and not projecting above the surface of the wood suiiiciently to interfere with the fitting or nailing of the cover and bottom upon the body of the box. 4

A second feature of the invention is the means for securing a tight or closed corner formed by securing posts or equivalent strips upon the inner portion of the sides' at their ends, with the end-pieces of the box hinged to the, sides next the inner sides of such posts, so that any pressure of the contents against the end-piece is transmitted wholly to the pos-ts, `and not imposed. upon the hinges. f

A third feature of the invention is the projection of the endsof the posts beyond the upper and lower edges of the box when desired, so that thel cover and bottom fitted Within such projecting ends operate to hold the box in rectangular form.

The formation of the hinge-plates of fiat sheet-metal which can be perforated by the operation of nails in a nailing machine, affords an immenseV advantage in the assembling of the side and end-pieces, the connection of which parts together, when setting up the boX, is the most diliicult and laborious art of the work required, as the top and ttom are readily applied to the sides and ends after the latter are assembled and secured together.

A fourth feature of the invention, which is particularly applicable to the manufacture of crates, is the construction of the top and bottom to fit within the margin of the crate, and held flush with the edges of thc crate by cleats secured upon the outer sides of the top and bottom, and projecting beyond the margin of the top and bottom, to rest upon the edges of the crate.

To facilitate the packing of such top and bottom with the collapsed body of the crate, they may be both jointed to the sides of the crate, by rhinges having loose wire pintles formed to project beyond the ends of the hinge, so that they can be bent to retain them therein. The cover and bottom may thus be separate from the side and endpieces until assembled.

These various features may be used in conjunction or separately, as may be required.

In the present invention, the assembling in the process of manufacture is greatly promoted by the provision of the posts attached to the side-pieces, which posts perform a special function in holdin the endpieces readily in position during t e nailing of the 'hinge-plates to the side and end'ly pieces.

In practice, this is done by setting one of the side-pieces in a nailing machine, placing the two end-pieces against the inner sides of the posts, laying the hinge-plates upon the edges of these pieces in proper position, and then driving the nails through such hinge-plates into the wood to form the hinge-pivots.

The remainingside-piece is then placed in the nailing machine `and the extremities of the end-piece fitted to the inner sides of the posts upon such side-piece, and hinge-plates secured across the joint of such pieces; thus hinging all of the upper corners. n

The body of the box is then inverted and the hinge-plates applied thereto and secured in a similar manner to hinge the four lower corners. This concludes the assembling of the parts in the manufactory, and the parts may then be collapsed and packed with suitable top and bottom pieces to forni a bottom and cover for the box.

Flanges are preferably bent upon .the inner edges of the offset plates to project downward within the end-pieces so that the hinge-plates may be pressed and held parallel with the end-pieces by the fingers during' the nailing operation.

In the annexed drawing, Figure l is a view of the box-body formed of boards and provided with my improvement;

Fig. 2 shows the same body partly eoll lapsed;

Fig. 3 shows the body entirely collapsed, these three views being shown in oblique projection Fig. et is a longitudinal section of a box similar to that shown in Fig. l with a cover and bottom applied thereto;

Fig. is a view of the blank for one ottlie intermediate links or liinge-plates, with dotted lines indicating where holes would be formed in the same when nails are driven through the hingeplate;

Fig. 6 shows the under side of an oset link with dotted lines indicating the location of nail-holes;

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the same viewed from the same side as in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the operation of offset links, during the collapsing of the end-piece;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a crate provided .with the improvements, and 'haying top and bottom adapted to ft within the sides and ends of the box;

Fig. l() is a section on line 10-10 in Fig. 9;

Fig. l1 is a section on line 11-11 in Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a box with veneer casing; and,

Fig. 13 is a vertical section through one lend of the box on line 13 13 in Fig. l2.

rllhe invention is shown in Figs. 1 to 3 in elusive applied to a box made of boards of suitable width and of sufficient thickness to have hinges jointed by nails, upon the edges yof the sides a, a and ends b,

Posts or cross-bars c are shown secured to the sides near their ends by nails d, and the ends o, o are fitted between the sides inside such posts. The posts are shown projected beyond the edges of the sides and' ends for a suii'icient distance-to engage the ends of the cover and bottom, which-thereby hold the box extended.

The hinges are formed .of iiat plates oi sheet-metal, and the alternate corners of the jected to a nailing machine.

The offset link is shown in Fig. 6 evith a straight body e to receive a nail-hole g, and a short lateral projection e is formed upon one end of the link which receivesfa nail# hole g beyond the line of the adjacent edge of the link, to permit the swinging of' the box-end b or b upon its inner corner.

marked b2 in Fig. 8, when the box is col-r.

lapsed, which offset also avoids the extending of the link diagonally across the inner corner of the box.

The hole g in one end of the link body e is shown in the middle of its breadth, and the holes 7 in the link f are also shown in the middle of its breadth. Such holesare produced by means of the nails g2 employed as pivots, by driving them through the metal.-

(See Fig. 13.)

rl`he necessity for the employment otl the offset link is clear from the diagram of Fig. S, where the offset-link and a portion of the end-piece 'o are shown in dotted lines, and the end-piece in full lines swung halt' way around to its collapsed position with a vor responding'movement of the offsetdink.

The inner corner-of the end-niece Z) is marked b2 in Fig. 8, and the location of the pivot-nail, which is inserted through the hole g, operates to swing the corner o2 clear from the side-piece a when the box is eollapsed.

This `results from the fact that the pivothole g in the edge of the side-piece a is disposed witliin the line of the inner side of the end-piece Z2 when such end-piece lies against the post 0, and the swinging movement oi the end -piece therefore carries the pivot-hole g (which is connected with the end-piece Z) Aet by a nail) around in the curved line L. to

clear the corner b2 from the side a.

This they could not do if both thenailholes for the offset link were both in a line .withpthe Vmiddle of its width like those of the link In the swinging movement of the endpiece, the body e of the link does not remain immovable upon the end-piece but takes an angular position in relation thereto, as shown in Fig. y8, which would obviously be impossible if the link .were nailed rigidly t0 the end-piece bytwo nails instead of one which' serves as a pivot.V

It must be understood that the particular operation of the oifset link is due to a particular disposition of the nail driven through the hole g and into the side-piece of the box by which the offset end of the linkis pivoted thereto.

As stated above, if this hole g were on a line along the middle of the body of the link e it would not operate to move the hole g away from the side-piece a, to let the corner of the end-piece turn as required, but

. by locating the hole on a line with the inner side of the end-piece or a little beyond tha-t 25 line, thehole g of the link is swung a-way from the side-piece a as soon as the end-piece begins to turn.

v It is not, therefore, the mere shape of the link which produces such result, nor even the disposition of the holes in the link, but the location of the nail-hole in the side-piece "a adjacent to the inner side of the endpiece The construction of the oiset link permits the end-piece Z2 to be swung flat against the adjacent side-piece a, as shown in Fig. 3;

'and the end-piece .at only one end of the side a requires such an offset link, as the operation of the link at the other end of the side-piece is. different, because the end-piece' does not swing ytoward the side-piece when collapsed, but around upon lthe corner postof the opposite side-piece, as shown in Fig. 3. For this reason the alternate links are made offset and the intermediate links straight, and the holes f of the straight links are spaced as far apart as the thickforms shown to embody the invention, one

corner ofeach e-ndpiece receives the pivotnail of the oHset link, and the opposite corner of such end-piece receives one of the pivot-nails of the straight link f.

The links are shown in Fig. 9 jointed by nails g2 inserted in the slats or rails Z upon.L

the end-pieces. These rails in a crate are held spaced apart by stiles 7c, and the sidepieces of the crate, are similarly formed of stiles 7c and rails l', andare provided at their ends wit-h the posts c for the purpose already described.

It is obvious that such side-pieces and endpieces may be collapsed precisely as those of the box shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In Fig. 9, the ends of the posts are shown Hush with the top and bottom edges of the crate, and the crate is held rectangular when assembled by making the rails Z2 of the cover shortv enough to fit between theend-pieces Z, and spaced upon their stiles 7a2, so that their outer edges t within the sides of the crate.

The rails thus held rigidly in rectangular relation, by their stiles, are adapted to enter slightly within the crate and to hold its sides and ends right angles with one another, the stiles k2 resting upon the upper or lower ends of the side and end-pieces, to which they may be securedby any means desired. A

.Where the crate isk not intended for repeated use, the top and bottom may be nailed to the sides and ends as shown at b3 in Fig. 4, but the top and bottom may be` secured detachably by means of fastenings, so that the crate may be opened without injury, and collapsed after it is used, and repacked Jfor transportation and further use.

Such a detachable fastening is shown in hinge-plates m upon the edges of the crate sides formed of folded sheet-metal, with the loop m', as shown in Fig. 11, adapted to receive al wire pintle o. The hinge-plates m are readily secured to the side-pieces by insertion between the stiles and edge rails before the latter are secured together, as by the nails p in Fig. 11.

Hinge-plates nare shown upon the edges of the cover similarly secured between the stiles k2 and rails Z2, and formed each with an eye n adapted to it between the eyes m upon the hinge-plates of the body.

A wire pintle o when inserted through the joint of these hinges may be bent, as shown at o upon the edge of the cover in Fig. 9, andsthus be prevented from accidental dis-A placementfwhile not preventing the straightening of the pintleand the separation of the parts, if desired.

It is immaterial how the hinges be formed and jointed to permit the hinging of the cover and bottom respectively to the edges of the side-pieces of the crate, so that all the parts of the crate areconnected together for transportation and storage, in readiness to be set up at any time.

In my statement of invention, I have fully described the process of j ointing the side and end-pieces of a boX or crate together by driving nails through the hinge-blanks into the upperorlower edges of those pieces, and such assembling of the body of the box #elle greatly reduces the labor required by the user in lsetting up the box and applying the bottom thereto, to permit the iilling of the box before it is closed.

Either before or after applying such bottom, nails shown at sin Fig. 1 maybe driven through the end-pieces b into the posts 0., and clenched upon the outer sides of the posts, thus securing as strong a corner for the box as if it were all nailed together in the factory.

rlfhis is a great advantage of my construction, and affords great stidness to the finished box or crate, as it permits the driving of nails through the end-pieces into the corner posts c when the box-body is set up bythe user to apply the bottom thereto.

A further illustration of the application of the invention is shown in Figs. '1 2 and 13 Where a large and deep packing-box is represented, made of composite character by forming the sides a4 and ends b4 of veneer With rails or battens u secured to the outer sides of the same, as is usual in making veneer cases.

The side-pieces are shown provided Vwith the posts c and the battens of the end-pieces bear against such posts when the end-pieces are set in place, and the nail-holes for the pivots are formed in the edges of the upper and loWer battens of the box by nailing the hinge-links thereon as `already' described.

The box thus made is collapsed the same as if made of ashook of solid boards, as the relation of the holes g to the inner sides of the end-pieces permits such pieces to turn Without any interference between their ends and the side-pieces of the box.

It will be understood thatY the ends of the links are all at vright angles with the body of the saine, which form is employed to utilize strips of thin band-iron in mak-ing the links in the cheapest possible manner, the bands being out transversely to make the links, thus leaving square ends upon the links.

A Wider band is employed for making the offset links than is required for the straight links 7', and the ange e2 is formed upon the offset link Without any Waste of material, as it is simply bent from the Aside for that portion of the length ofthe link which is not offset. The flange e2 is not shown in Figs. 9, 12 and'13, on account of the smallness of the scale.

It Will be understood that the fla-nge 4is especially useful in gaging the-position of the link upon the Wood during the nailing operation Vwhich produces the pivots of the link.

In a box having the top and bottom vnailed on it is evident that such yparts to hold the hinge-links and hold their pivots 'irmly in place, as `is shownk at e1 and gz fin Fig 13,

and it is evident that the Whole strength of the sheet-1netal then resists any strain upon the side-pieces a, and the use of hingelinks applied next to the top and bottom pieces thus adds very materially to the strength of the box-corners.

As the nails for securing the cover of a box are not inserted at the corners, the presence ofthe hinge-links at the junction of the side and end-pieces does not in the least interfere with the nailing of the Vtop or bottom to the sides.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention what is claimed herein is:

1. A folding crate or box having side pieces with transverse posts at the ends thereof, end-pieces fitted to the inner sidesl of the said posts, and hinge-plates pivoted upon the edges of the side and end-pieces near their junction.

2. A folding crate or box having sidepieces With transverse posts at the ends thereof, end-pieces fitted to the inner sides (3f-f the said posts, hinge-plates pivoted upon the edges of the sides and end near their junctions, and covers applied to close the top and bottom of the box and covering the said hinge-plates to prevent access or .injury thereto.

3. A folding closed-corner box having hinge-links pivoted at both ends upon the es edges of the end-pieces and sidepieces thereof near their junctions, the alternate *hinge links having edge flanges to fit Within the end-pieces of the box for the purpose set forth.

i. A folding box having hinge-links applied to the edges of the end-pieces and sidepieces and pivoted at both ends thereto, the alternate hinge-links having each an offset at one end and a flange upon one edge for me the remainder of its length and nail-'holes in such hinge-link, the flanged portion havingl a nail-hole at the middle of its Width, and the o'set portion yhaving a nail-hole in the said offsetadjacent to the line of the flange.

5. A folding box having side-pieces With transverse posts at the ends thereof and endpieces itted to the inner sides of the said posts, hinge-plates pivoted ,by nails upon the edges of the side and end-pieces near their junctions and the nail-holes in the intern-1e-- diate plates spaced apart a distance equal to the thickness of a post plus one-half the combined thickness of the side-piece and endpiece.

6. A folding crate or box having sidepieces with transverse posts at the `ends thereof, and end-pieces fitted to the inner sides of the said posts, hinge-plates pivoted upon the edges of the. sides and ends near their junctions, and coversl applied to the edges of the sides and ends and extendedY over the hinge-plates and4 nailed tosajid sides imi and ends, thus 'Wholly preventing access or injury to the hinge-plates.

7. A folding crate or boX having sidepieees with transverse posts at the ends thereof, and projected beyond the edges of the side-pieces, end pieces fitted to the inner sides of the said posts, hinge-plates pivoted upon the edges' of the side and end-pieces near their junctions, and covers applied to the edges of the side and endp1eees and fitted between the projecting ends of the posts to hold the box in sha e.

8. A folding crate or Eox having sidepieces with transverse posts at the ends thereof, and end-pieces fitted to the inner sides of the said posts, hinge-plates ivoted upon the edges of the side and en -pieces near their junctions, and the alternate hingeplates having their outer pivot-pins Within the lines of the inner ends of the box. to permit the folding of the ends upon the sides.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ARTHUR M. WIGHT.

copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

